Henry j



N0. 6I3,5|5. Patented NOV. I, I898.v I

- V H. J. M. HOWARD.

HOSE REEL.

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Shut I.

(No Model.)

No. 6l3 ,5l5 Patented Nov. I, I898.

H. J. M. HOWARD;

HOSE REEL.

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Swuawtoz ma mums FETERS co. PnoTg-umu, WASNINGTON, n. c

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. M. HOWARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

HOSE-REEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 613,515, dated November1, 1898.

Application filed January 8, 1898. Serial No. 666,055. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. M. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a newand useful Hose-Reel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hose-reels, and more particularly to that classof hose-reels which are adapted to be secured in fixed po sitions inbuildings in connection with watersupply pipes.

In hose-reels of this class as heretofore constructed numerousdifficulties have been encountered which I have endeavored to overcomein the reel herein described and claimed.

One of the greatest difficulties encountered in hose-reels of this classis the liability of leakage at the stuffing-boxes considered necessaryin such constructions. Usually any attempt to screw up the stuffing-boxsufficiently tight to prevent leakage under extra heavy pressure ofwater has resulted in too great friction in the operation of the reel.As is well known, the pressure of water from mains of cities or othersupply varies to a considerable extent and a stuffing-box madesufficiently tight for ordinary pressure will leak when the pressure isincreased.

A special object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty byconstructing a hosereel with a compensating hub and stuffingbox soarranged that any increase of pressure of water in the'main will causethe pressure of the gland on the packing in the stuffing-box to beincreased, and vice versa,

so that the tightness of the packing will al-' ways be regulated by thepressure of the water.

Further objects of my invention are to provide improved protection forthe hose when wound on the reel, to provide for the easy after fullydescribed and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionmostnearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed todescribe its construction and operation, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a hose-reel constructed inaccordance with my invention connected with a stand-pipe. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical sectional view through the same on the line 2 2 of Fig.5, the stand pipe and branch being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view illustrating the unreeling-guide. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view of the hub. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectionalview through the hub, showing the hose attached and coiled on the lowerplate of the reel. Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation illustratinganother application of my improved form of reel. Fig. 7 is a similarview illustrating another application of my improved compensatingstuffingbox.

Like numerals of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur inthe various figures of the drawings. 1

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 10 indicates a stand pipe, inwhich may be placed a T-coupling 11, from which extends a lateral branch12, with a valve 13 therein and an elbow 14 at its outer end, forming aconnection with a vertical branch 15, which is provided with aring-flange 16, vertical slots 17 for the passage of the water, and aclosed upper end 18.

19 indicates the reel=hub, the central portion of which is substantiallyglobular in form,

while exteriorly-threaded tubular extensions 20 and 21 are provided atthe top and bottom thereof. One side of the central globular portion isflattened, as at 22, and from this flattened portion projects a nozzle23, upon which the inner end of the hose 24. is permanently threaded.The upper tubular extension 20 has an interior diameter to fit upon theupper portion of the supporting-pipe 15, while the lower tubularextension '21 is of a diameter to fit the ring-flange 16, a shoulderbeing formed to rest upon the ring-flange, which serves as the supportof the whole reel. An annular space is thus formed below the ring-flangebetween the pipe 15 and the lower extension 21 of the hub, in which isplaced a packing-ring 26, below which is a gland 27, inelosed in a cap28, fitted around pipe 15, and threaded upon the outside of theextension 21 of the hub. Around the upper end of the hub, at the pointof junction of the main body thereof with its upper extension 20, isformed a shoulder 29, and upon the threaded exterior of said extensionis fitted a cap 30. The hub is also provided with annular downwardly andoutwardly extending flanges 31 and 32, and to these flanges are bolted,respectively, the upper and lower i11verted-conical-shaped plates 33 and34 of the reel, the plate 33 being bolted to the under side of flange 31and the plate 34 to the upper side of the flange 32. The plate 33 coversthe hose coiled in the reel, and the plate 34 supports it, the latterbeing perforated or of skeleton formation to lighten the reel. Aspirally-arranged row of pins connects the two plates at a shortdistance from the hub, beginning with pin 35, Which is located at aproper point to permit the hose 24 to be bent around it without kinkingit, and the last pin 37 being located a distance greater from the hubthan the first pin by about the thickness of the hose when coiled, as isclearly shown in Fig. 5.

38 indicates a ring which fits loosely around the tubular extension 20of the hub, resting upon the shoulder 29 and between it and the cap 30.From this ring extends an arm 39, lying above the surface of the plate33 and supported to move thereon by means of a roller 40, journaled inarms 41, projecting laterally from the arm 39. The arm 39 at the edge ofthe plate 33 is bent downward and forked, the prongs 42 and 43 thereofstanding vertically across the space between the outer edges of theplates 33 and 34 and provided with rollers 44 and 45. The hose 24 passesbetween these rollers and is provided at its outer end with the usualhose pipe or nozzle 46.

From the foregoing description the construction of my invention will beapparent, and its operation maybe described as follows: The hose beingcoiled upon the reel with its end projecting from the side thereofbetween the rollers 44 and 45, it may be unwound from the reel in anydirection by simply pulling the hose in the desired direction. The pull011 the hose will carry the rollers 44 and 45 around until they are inthe direction in which the hose is to be carried, when the reel willturn freely and permit its coils to be unwound, the hose passing betweenthe rollers, which do not revolve with the reel, but simply rotate ontheir own axes, the ring at the inner end of their supporting-armrotating freely on the hub of the reel. The valve 13 having been openedprior to beginning to unwind the hose, the water will pass freely fromthe stand-pipe through the lateral and vertical branches and the hub andits nozzle into and through the hose and may be thrown upon the firewhen the whole or any portion of the hose has been unwound by simplyopening the valve in the hose-pipe.

The normal tendency of the water-pressure when admitted into the hubwill be to raise it 01f. its support on the ringflange 16, and thistendency of the hub to raise will exert an upward pressure on thepacking ring 26 through the medium of the gland 27, which rests upon thecap 28, threaded to the hub 19. By this arrangement any excess ofpressure of water will give a corresponding increase in the pressure ofthe gland 27 against the pack ing-ring, thus accommodating the spread ofthe packing-ring and the tightness of the stuffing-box to the increasedpressure. This feature of my invention is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 asapplied to reels mounted upon the outer end of the lateral branch pipe12. In the application illustrated in Fig. 6 the plates 47 and 48, whichform the body of the reel, are shaped substantially the same as theplates 33 and 34 hereinbefore described, and are arranged on ahorizontal instead of a vertical axis. In Fig. 7 the plates 49 and 50are mounted on a horizontal axis, as in Fig. 6, but are flat. These twofigures are merely to show that the compensating stuffing-box can beapplied otherwise than in Figs. 1 and 2.

By arranging the plates 33 and 34 in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 thehose will pass on and oil the reel with much less tendency to kink thanwould be the case if these plates were in horizontal planes, the naturaldirection which the hose will take from the floor to the reel beingalmost a straight line in continuation of the direction of any radius ofthese plates.

By arranging the flanges 31 and 32 in the manner shown and bolting theplates to the inside thereof I provide a smooth interior surface wherebyany tendency to tear the hose or interrupt it from reeling or nnreelingis obviated.

The furtheradvantage of the conical shape of the plates is that when thehose is entirely wound upon the reel there will be a continuous passagethrough the hose from its inner end to its nozzle, such passage having aslight downward inclination, so that the water will drip from the insideof the hose, leaving it entirely dry.

The advantage attending the operation of my guard arm and fingers hasbeen fully described hereinbefore, as has also the advantage attendingthe use of the pins between the plates upon which to wind the hose, andwhile I have illustrated and described what I consider to be the bestmeans for applying my invention I do not wish to be understood asrestricting myself to the exact forms and arrangements shown.

Many changes and variations therefrom might be made without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. For instance, my improved reel might beattached to the lower end of the vertical branch pipe depending downwardfrom the lateral branch 12 instead of rising therefrom, the necessarychanges to make this application of the invention being obvious.

Having thus fully described myinvention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. The combination in'a hose-reel, of a hub, plates extending laterallytherefrom between which the hose is wound, a ring upon the upper end ofthe hub, an arm projecting radially therefrom and provided withdownwardly-extending, forked arms, crossing the outer space between theplates, and rollers on said forked arms, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a hose-reel, of a-vertical axis, a hub mountedthereon, and a pair of parallel, conical-shaped plates extendinglaterally and downwardly from said hub, between which plates the hose isto be coiled, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a hose-reel, of a vertical axis, ahub mountedthereon, outwardly and downwardly extending flanges around said hub, andconical-shaped plates secured to the inner sides of said flanges,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4,. The combination with the vertical branch pipe, of the hub mountedthereon, having an upwardly-extending, tubular extension and an annularshoulder at the junction of said extension with the hub, a guide-arm,moving over the surface of the reel and provided with vertical prongs,rollers on said vertical prongs, a horizontal ring fitting around theupper, tubular extension of the hub and resting upon the shoulder, and ascrew-cap, threaded upon said tubular extension, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination in a hose-reel, of a vertical pipe provided withdischarge-openings, a ring-flange around said pipe, near the lower endsof the discharge-openings, ahollowreelhub, mounted around said verticalpipe,resting upon the ring-flange and inclosing the discharge-openings,and an upward tubular extension to said hub, havingabearing upon thevertical pipe, above'its discharge-openings, substantially as described.

6. The combination in .a hose-reel, of the hub, two plates securedthereto at a proper distance to receive the hose between them, and aspirally-arranged row of pins connecting said plates, to receive theinner coil of the hose, substantially as described.

HENRY J. M. HOWARD.

Witnesses:

S. BRASHEARS, FRANK J. MULHALL.

